​Armenia protesters demand more time to consider next move after govt concessions

Protesters in the streets of Yerevan want “more time” to decide on further actions after the government agreed to shoulder the costs and compensate for electricity price hikes until a full audit of Electric Networks of Armenia is conducted.

The organizers of the ‘No to Robbery!’ movement in Armenia have
tried to convince authorities on Saturday evening that they need
more time, until at least 2:00pm GMT Sunday, to decide on their
next move and present their decision.

Meanwhile the deputy chief of Yerevan Police, Colonel Valery
Osipyan, reminded activists that their gathering was technically
illegal, but authorities were not planning to use force to
disperse crowds as long as they remain peaceful.

“The rally is peaceful, but illegal,” Osipyan told
reporters. “We are trying to convince the demonstrators to
follow the law.”

On Saturday Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced a proposal,
according to which the government would compensate all costs
related to the price hikes until an audit of the Electric
Networks of Armenia company, which protesters accuse of
corruption, is complete. The president offered to employ the best
international practices and invite respected consulting and audit
companies to conduct an inspection and rule on the price hike.

The activists however have held off on accepting the offer, after
previously rejecting direct talks with the president on two
occasions. People are committed to staying in the streets until a
definitive decision the issue is reached, representative of the
movement Vaginak Shushanyan said, according to RIA. The
government is offering to resolve the issue by spending state
funds, which also “belong to the people,” he told the
crowd.

Protesters, who blocked off the Marshal Baghramyan Avenue with
garbage cans, continue spending nights in the central Yerevan
streets and demanding the cancellation of a 16.7 percent
electricity price hike that is due to take effect on August 1.
"I have the strength to protest for two more months,"
Shushanyan told Novosti-Armenia news agency. Alongside the
freezing and renegotiation of electricity tariffs, protesters are
demanding that the use of force by police officers earlier this
week be investigated.

On Tuesday, after several attempts by the crowd to march on the
presidential residence, and numerous warnings, Armenian riot
police dispersed the crowd and detained about 200 people on
public disorder charges.

International human rights organizations accused the government
of disproportionate use of force shortly afterwards and urged for
a thorough investigation into alleged police brutality to be
conducted.

Human Rights Watch stated that even if the demonstration was
illegal, “nothing can justify physical attacks on largely
peaceful demonstrators and journalists.” Meanwhile the OSCE
said Armenia must “fully respect” the rights of
protesters to exercise “freedom of peaceful assembly,”
and urged an “impartial” investigation into events.